The present invention generally relates to archery, and more particularly to an arrow rest assembly including a funnel, as well as to the funnel itself.
Archery bows, such as compound bows, conventionally possess a handle riser section generally where an archer grasps the bow with one of the archer""s hands. The handle riser section includes a window section through which an arrow extends when the arrow is in a xe2x80x9cready-to-draw-and-shoot positionxe2x80x9d, when the arrow is drawn rearwardly as the bowstring is pulled, and momentarily after release of the bowstring and during the initial shooting of the arrow.
When an arrow is shot and released, the arrow bends and oscillates. A number of arrow rests have been designed to help resiliently absorb any flexing or thrust of the arrow in order to improve arrow flight and accuracy. Many of these arrow rests operate with the arrow shaft perched above or laterally adjacent to a resiliently flexible portion of the arrow rest, which is designed to provide free clearance of the arrow vanes or feathers when the arrow is shot and released.
Early, simple arrow rests might comprise simply a finger or a launcher arm that is screwed, glued or otherwise affixed to the bow in the region of the window section. Later, more sophisticated arrow rests might include spring biasing mechanisms as well as mechanisms to adjust the forward/rearward, upward/downward, and left/right position of the finger or launcher arm in the window section of the bow.
A common frustrating and even dangerous problem with most arrow rest designs is that it is difficult to place and maintain the arrow in a proper position on the arrow rest prior to drawing and during drawing of the bowstring.
During bow hunting, the archer typically desires to have an arrow in a xe2x80x9cready-to-draw-and-shootxe2x80x9d position so that a shot may be taken quickly and so that the game is not spooked by the movement and possible sound of drawing an arrow from a quiver, placing the arrow on the bow, and raising the bow to a shooting position. With a simple bow and elementary arrow rest designs, the bow hunting archer usually retains the arrow in a xe2x80x9cready-to-draw-and-shootxe2x80x9d position by placing the bowstring in the nock of the arrow and clasping the forefinger of the archer""s bow-holding hand around the arrow shaft. Such a technique is tiring to the bow-holding hand and is sometimes dangerous when the bow hunter is walking through brush, tree limbs, or rough terrain, especially when considering that the arrow is usually fitted with a razor sharp broad head tip suited for hunting game. With the advent of more sophisticated bows and arrow rests, the use of a forefinger to hold the arrow is even more fraught with difficulty.
Also, when drawing an arrow rearwardly, the arrow may roll or fall off the arrow rest, which requires the arrow to be replaced and re-drawn. While such arrow xe2x80x9croll offxe2x80x9d can be frustrating during target practice and disconcerting during tournaments, xe2x80x9croll offxe2x80x9d is especially troublesome during hunting, when the archer may be relatively nervous, standing on unstable and uneven terrain, or encountering difficult weather conditions. During hunting, a xe2x80x9croll offxe2x80x9d (1) may result in the arrow banging against the arrow rest or the bow, thereby creating noises that scare the game, (2) may require the archer to move the archer""s hand, the arrow, or the bow, which movement may also scare the game, or (3) may require the archer to delay the arrow shot, during which time the game may move into concealment or out of range.
Arrow holders have been designed to help hold an arrow in the window of a bow. However, many of these holders unduly restrict the arrow so as to hamper arrow flight.
The present invention generally relates to a substantially conically shaped arrow rest having a substantially centered aperture through which the shaft of the arrow is adapted to extend. The arrow possesses several slits extending from the aperture so that when the arrow is shot, the aperture may distend to accommodate distortions of the arrow shaft and to allow the arrow vanes to pass substantially freely therethrough. Also preferably the arrow rest resiliently deflects radially outwardly in the region of the aperture so as to produce a biasing force that dampens the oscillations of the arrow upon being shot.